SCHADENFREUDE
by Heart Sandwich
Summary: If you had told Vox that he would be kidnapped and sent to Hell before any of it seemed possible, he would have laughed in your face. But oh, how fate loves to toy with people. After escaping Hell and ending up on Remnant, Vox must now become a huntsman to stop the darkness within Tartarus from consuming the planet, whether he knows it or not.
1. Chapter 1

**1**

 _Hell. What a place to escape from. To be free of the burning air and the soul crushing view of an endless night sky was a blessing to any who had managed to survive the unsurvivable, and come out as victorious immortals in the face of all who knew of the feat. I remember when I had hoped that one day it would happen to me, that one day I would be the man standing victorious at the Gates, looking at the demons who dared chase me over my shoulder, a contemptible smile across my face as I did so. I never expected that day to come so soon, however. After years of torture and witnessing brutal disembowling and grim sights of falicy and truth, I had lost all hope to continue on, and had come to terms with my own impending death. Yet now, as I stand before the pulsating black wall that was the Gate to the blightless world, I felt a hope brim within the deepest recesses of my soul. I was free. All I had to do was leave, to walk away from it all, to feel alive again. So that's what I did. I reached my hand out and watched as the black wall shimmered and bubbled, strings of red shooting out of it to grab me, letting it pull my body within its comforting nothingness. In the dark, I was free of all visions of evil, and I could taste the life that untainted oxygen provided. I felt my body slip away, and there I was; a nothingness shot into being, back to the world I had long since left._

Eyes shot open. Sweat, thirst, and hunger flooding the body, limiting thought. Who was he? Where was he? What had he just saw? A strange phenomenon, it was, one that slowly slipped away as the boy sitting down on a comfortable seat lifted himself up from a slouched position, stretching his body out and popping his irritated joints. He looked around him slowly. He was in an air carrier filled with teenagers looking to begin their life anew at the prestigious Beacon Academy. Beacon? He had heard of that before. But where? How did he know of it? Why was he heading towards it? The hustle and bustle of a city filled the air tight walls of the flying machine, and the sounds of footsteps striking against the white metal floor rattled in the boy's ears constantly, causing him to lift his hands up and cover them for a second before he realized that he had a pair of headphones hanging from his black and red hoodie. Without questioning how he got them, or how he had gotten to where he was currently, the boy slipped the headphones in his ears and put one of his hands in his pockets to look for whatever the headphones were attached to. His hand came into contact with a rectangular device, which he retrieved from his pocket and looked at for a moment. It was light, and had a white frame surrounding a slim glass screen. It was a Scroll. The boy scratched his head. How had he known that? Setting the scroll down on his lap, the boy decided it was a good idea to _remember_. He didn't know who he was, or how he had gotten to where he was at that particular moment, yet he knew where he was going. Strange. He closed his eyes and began meditating, reaching into his mind as deep as he could go to gain a semblance of clarity. He did so with much accuracy and little difficulty, as if the action had been practiced before. A small tingling formed within the boy's mind, a feeling that he quickly reached out to and grabbed with a mental claw. It all came rushing back to him. He knew who he was, and where he was at, and why he was going to Beacon, a place he had previous knowledge on earlier despite not having any sort of memory to back it up.

His name was Vox, and he was a _dìyù wòkè,_ or _Hell Walker._ He had trained for years after escaping Tartarus, and through that very training, he learned the value of those who fought the insidious creatures known as the Grimm. While they were far easier to slay than even the weakest of demons, they hunted in packs, and could easily overwhelm the under prepared. Because of his horrid time in Hell, Vox had decided to be the light he so desperately craved while he was locked away in the dark, to be the savior one needed in times of great despair, to be the Axe of God when one was faced with the Devil.

That's why he was heading to Beacon. To become more, and to _help_. Vox didn't want to be a hero, nor did he want to be a famous huntsman. He would act in the shadows, as he was taught, and protect humanity and Faunus-kind, no recognition was needed.

His teacher had taught him to be impartial, and that every being needed protecting from something, even if they did not know it. Demons were everywhere, and the people of Remnant had no idea of it. The seal that seperated Hell and Remnant, commonly referred to as The Wall or _T_ _ườ_ _ng_ , in ancient texts, was much stronger than it was between Tartarus and Thetos. Thetos was where Vox originated, and it was a place he so craved to go back to. The flowing red of the lakes and oceans, the deep purple sky, the fiery orange of the foliage, and the beautiful blue sun made Remnant's most beautiful areas look as if they were made of cardboard. Tartarus, or rather Hell, had played its last trick on Vox when he left it behind, throwing him into another world, possibly even another dimension, away from his loved ones. The universe was connected through Tartarus and Hell, and through them one could seemingly reach anywhere in the known regions of existence in a few years time. It would be amazing if it were not so horrifying.

Vox looked down at the scroll laying across his lap, now remembering everything he had on it, and why he had headphones with him. He also recalled his ability to recall. It helped him remember who he was and what he was doing whenever he woke up after having a particularly bad nightmare, or memory, and allowed him to retain what little sanity he still had left. Vox picked up his scroll an turned on the screen, immediately heading for his music collection and rewinding then pressing play on the song he had assumed he had been listening to. He pushed his head phones firmly into his ears before letting himself be lost within the music.

 _ **'Four horses pull a carriage through an empty street, and though the day is cold and still, they all know breathing, and make no sound at all—'**_

Vox closed his eyes and slowly bobbed his head, taking every note and lyric to heart as he had done hundreds of times.

 _ **'As easily as water finds its way to ground, they bleed into the brick and dog on. And I have seen what I have seen in San Ford, like a whisper in the dome of Saint Paul—'**_

Students walked and chatted amongst themselves, oblivious to the feeling of deep emotion that presided over Vox, the worries and pains he had earlier melted away into a sweet symphony. He began to lightly sing along, his eyes still closed, trying his best to stay within the moment and not let the thoughts of Hell take him as they did earlier.

 _ **'And the drowning man's forgot what he's called, but he illuminates our town for us all… yeah, eh, yeah… so walk up the narrow staircase from the balcony, and at the top go out and rip the golden railing, the view from up here really takes your breath away, you step out of your skin and you're gone,'**_

Vox opens his eyes, noticing that students were clamouring around a flatscreen television a few feet from him, a news report about a dust robbery no doubt taking their attention. Though he was curious, there was no denying the effect his music was having on him, so Vox instead opted to continue to dedicate his attention to his music. Before he did so, however, he caught a glimpse of a blonde girl with exceedingly long hair staring at him, along with a smaller girl with silver eyes. Ignoring them, Vox sunk into his seat and allowed for his soul to be captured by someone else's, in the form of music.

' _ **And I have seen what I have seen in San Ford, like a whisper in the dome of Saint Paul, and the drowning man's forgot what he's called, but he illuminates our town—'**_

A tap on the young man's shoulders brought him out of his trance, causing him to open his eyes quickly. The girl he had saw earlier, the one with the unnecessary amounts of blonde hair, was staring directly at him with a smile on her face and a mirthful look on her lilac eyes. He lifted an eyebrow and removed his headphones.

"Yes? May I help you?" He asked, slightly annoyed at the blonde for interrupting his musical meditation. The girl smiled.

"Yeah, my name's Yang, Yang Xiao Long. And this here is my sister, Ruby Rose." Yang gestured to her sister, who seemed to be attempting to disappear by hiding in her red hood.

Vox realized that the two girls, though sisters, did not share the same last name. Adopted perhaps? Stepsisters? Anything was possible. Vox decided it would be impolite to ask about their relations when he had only just met them, so he stayed quiet on that matter.

"Nice to meet you, Yang. Ruby." Vox gave a small nod to both girls before looking back at Yang inquisitively. "Did you two need something?"

"Yeah, my sister here wanted you to know that your hair looks good. Isn't that right, Ruby?" Yang teased as he poked her sister, who made a weak attempt to swat away the hand as she was too busy covering her now red face.

Vox ran a hand through his hair, not understanding why the girl had mentioned it, or even noticed it. Maybe it was the natural brunette color, or the way it flowed to the left side of his head in a well-combed manner, even though he did nothing to take care of it. With a shrug he looked at Ruby, then back to Yang.

"I am flattered, though, I don't think your sister meant it as a compliment, rather as an observation, if anything," he said, giving another nod to Ruby.

Yang smiled.

"You seem like an interesting guy. What's your name?"

"Vox."

"Vox, huh? I've never heard a name like that before. Its not a color, and its certainly not normal. Got a last name, Vox?"

"No. My name is Vox. That is all." He was starting to get annoyed at the girl for her pestering, though it wasn't really her fault.

He had gotten into one of his musical moods, amd he so desperately wanted to listen to something good at that moment, but he didn't want to appear rude in front of two people he would possibly have to work with in the future by putting a headphone in his ear. Yang raised both of her eyebrows, her interest in him obviously piqued. Before she could inquire anymore of him, however, the carrier ship began to slow, and her sister, Ruby, dragged her off to the front in order to be the first out of the doors. Vox let out a breath of happiness before quickly inserting his headphones back into his ears, eager for more music. As his music played, he made his way to the front of the carrier behind the other people on board, smiling lightly at the different walks of life that passed before him, and all of the different weapons that gleamed in all of their dangerous glory.

Stepping off of the carrier ship, Vox took in the sights of Beacon Academy in awe, his eyes going wide. The white arcs, pointed towers and victorian architecture impressed the boy thoroughly, his eyes wandering every which way in search of new things to greedily stare at. He stood on a marble path, which lead to what seemed to be the main building of the academy, looking around and smiling. He had heard stories of how grand Beacon looked, but to actually see it for himself… it was _much_ better in person. As Vox's eyes wandered, his mind did as well. He began to think about how life would play out for him now that he was attending Beacon, and how he would adapt to his surroundings. What challenges would he have to surmount? Who would he meet? The thoughts were seemingly endless, and only the sounds of an explosion ended their reign on Vox's mind. On instinct, he stopped moving and pondered whether or not he should go _towards_ the explosion, or as far away from it as humanly possible. He decided that he was rather curious about what could cause such a disturbance on the campus of Beacon Academy and not warrant an immediate shut down of everything, and walked towards the source of the noise. When he finally reached the area the explosion had occurred, the only thing that was there was a crater, and nothing more. What had happened? Vox scratched his scalp before turning back around and heading for the main building, eager to start his tenure at Beacon Academy.

After Headmaster Ozpin gave a rather short and seemingly void speech, one that Vox admittedly paid little attention to, the future students of Beacon were to make their way down to the ballroom where they would all sleep until the next day, which is when the initiation process started. A lot of students seemed either nervous or excited as they chatted amongst one another, doing their best to pass the time or try to avoid realizing that time was passing. Vox, however, sat with his head back against the wall, headphones in his ears, and a content smile plastered on his face as he felt the warm rush of the unknown wash down on him. Everything was so different at Beacon, the people, the décor, the atmosphere, the night sky. All of it was just so _new_ that Vox had no choice but to feel happy at moving up in life, even if his happiness would be short lived once he fell asleep and had to experience the pains of crawling through Tartarus all over again. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times before looking over to the other people around him. They were all attractive and very fit teenagers, dressed down in their night attire. One boy in particular had gotten _really_ comfortable and decided to don a blue bunny onesie. Vox sighed at it. A brown bunny onesie would look _so_ much better. A familiar pair of lilac eyes met his, and a smile slowly crept up on the face he had seen mere hours ago. Knowing that Yang would want to talk to him, Vox removed one of his headphones and wrapped it around his ear.

"Helllooo Vox. Sittin' over here by yourself, I see?" Yang teased, to which Vox replied to with a small nod.

"Yes, I prefer it. Is there anything you wanted?"

"What, I can't simply say hello to a friend?"

"A friend? But we just met," Vox stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Yang scoffed.

"Jeez, my man, that's cold. I've never been blown off by a guy like that," She said in a mock-hurt tone.

Vox shrugged his shoulders. The two of them had just met, there was no reason why she should be acting as if they knew each other for years. It was annoying. Not so much as to be _really_ annoying, but enough to be slightly annoying.

"You see that guy over there? His name's Jaune. Check out that outfit! He doesn't even have a problem with wearing it! It's hilarious, isn't it?" Surely, she jested, thought Vox as he eyed her, then the blonde boy in the onesie who was apparently named Jaune.

He was talking to Ruby, the two seeming awkward in the way they spoke but genuine in their efforts. Vox looked back to Yang.

"I don't see a problem, other than the coloring of the onesie. If it was brown, then it'd be fantastic. But it is blue, and thus it is obvious that this 'Jaune' character has no sense of fashion." Vox mumbled, not caring if Yang heard him or not.

"Oh god. Not you too. Don't tell me you have a onesie packed away somewhere."

Vox refused to answer that question. Instead, he gestured to what he was currently dressed in; a black wool turtle neck and dark blue jeans with sandles. Yang looked the boy up and down.

"Like that solves anything, you could be hiding the onesie so you can wear it later," She commented before turning away from Vox and walking away.

"See you tomorrow, Vox! We have a _Long_ day ahead of us!" Yang made sure to put extra emphasis on the Long, ensuring that Vox understood the pun.

He did, and he was utterly disgusted that such a low form of comedy still existed. With a roll of his eyes, he put the headphone that had been wrapped around his ear back into it, closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep. And eventually he did.

Though, for Vox, sleeping wasn't something he enjoyed, especially since everytime he fell asleep he would once again be in Hell, surrounded by sulfur lakes and dangerous crawling creatures with multiple heads and arms.

 _The raging heat of Tartarus once again greeted me, the sensation of being cooked alive ever present as I walked down a rocky path, wincing at every jagged edge that dug into my bare feet. I had nothing to protect me, and I had nowhere to run. The eyes, they watched me even when there were none around. They haunted me, and tormented me. Through the red and grey hellscapes of Tartarus they pursued my living soul, something of much value to them, and tried to eat it. They smelled my fear, and they laughed at it as they followed the honey trail I had left behind. There was no escape. I heard a cackle come from my right, and I turned only to see a long, bony and pale arm that was about the length of my entire body (I stood at five foot eleven) rise from what appeared to be a giant face in the ground, its features contorted in an infinite agony. Another arm appeared from the black void of the face's mouth, and before I could see the rest, I begin to run. The ground tears into the soles of my feet, leaving them exposed and fleshy. I hold back a scream, the pain from the hot rock beneath me searing into my flesh. I could hear the cackling grow closer, and closer, and closer until it was upon me. I screamed as thin and sharp fingers dug into my back, gripping my spine and pulling the flesh off my backbeginningtoripandtearwhileistareintotheyesofdea—_

Vox awoke, eyes wide, and in a cold sweat. His breathing was ragged, his heart racing. He placed a hand on his chest and steadied his breathing, trying his best to relax. The nightmares he had always felt so real, the pain and the suffering effecting him even when he awoke. He hated the nightmares, but he knew that they were just another sign that he was live, and that he had walked through Tartarus and made it back to the land of the living in one piece. Most who went to hell prematurely could not say the same—mainly because they were dead—and it was because of this Vox always remembered to cherish his fortune, and his will to live.

Vox sighed and stretched, glancing around the room, curious as to what time it was. Obviously late or very early, as the sun had yet to peak through the windows of the ballroom, and none of the surrounding students seemed to be making any effort to actually wake up. With little interest in going back to sleep, Vox picked himself off of the ground and walked to the male bathroom, careful not to step on anyone. Once he was in the privacy of the lavatory, the teen went to the sink, and stared in the mirror. There were bags under his eyes, and his hair was matted and stringy, no doubt slightly oily as well from all of the sweat. A splash of cool sink water was enough to wake Vox up a bit, and help his mind kick start. He didn't want to forget again. He hated forgetting, and he hated trying his damnest to remember the things he had forgotten. The effects Tartarus had on his mind were immense, even after four years of being free from its mangy clutches. Like a poisoned tree, Vox could feel his mind slowly begin to dive deeper into insanity the longer he continued to live, and it would show. Sometimes he woke up fearing that he had never escaped Hell, and that everything was a lie, as if somewhere in a bloodied gully deep within the Nine Circles was his true body, slowly dying from malnutrition and thirst, the god that had forsaken him allowing his mind to be free before he perished. Such thoughts often kept Vox up at night mulling over the possibility of them being truths. It was driving him mad.

He had escaped all those years ago, yet somehow, his mind was still there, in Tartarus, experiencing all the pain and torture his body should be.

Vox shivered and left the bathroom, walkin to the spot he had taken up beforehand and sitting down. He checked his scroll for the time, and it read 03:25. Only three and a half hours until everyone had to wake up and prepare for initiation. Vox knew he should have been excited about that, but he had been struck with a sudden case of nervousness. What if he failed? What if he didn't do well enough, and barely scraped by? All of his training and heartache would have been for nothing, and he had better pack his belongings and throw them back down to hell because he had absolutely no other ambitions. Clutching his head in frustration, Vox laid his head down on the floor and curled into a ball.

It was going to be a long day.

It was time. Initiation was upon them all. Students stood lined up on grey metal launch pads on the edge of a cliff, ready (or not) to be shot into the sky and down into the Emerald Forest. How something such as this was allowed to happen was beyond Vox, but he did not complain. Falling from the sky would, of course, be nothing to him, as he had been thrown into jagged rocks above sulfur fissures before and somehow managed to survive the endeavor. Before the initiation even began, Vox had already determined it a cake walk.

Glancing to his left, he observed various students, including Jaune and Ruby, who were both sent flying shortly afterwards, followed by a black haired girl with a bow on, then a girl with white hair and a little crown on. They were all dressed… very strangely, in Vox's opinion. How would a dress or very short shorts and long boots help someone stay alive? It was something that boggled his mind quite often; the dressing habits of the younger huntsmen and huntresses. It seemed to be fashion over protection, something that should have been a no go, yet they still did it and still survived. For the most part. He, however, preferred a more practical approach to his form of dress, doning an ensemble of leather. Though, a brown and black leather jacket with steel gauntlets along with his signature black and red hoodie underneath it, coupled with slim yet airy silk and leather pants with steel plated boots had to be _somewhat_ fashionable.

Suddenly the pad Vox was standing on shot forward, sending him flying into the air at incredible speeds. He straightened out his body and placed his arms firmly to his sides, allowing him to cut through the air and fly upwards faster. As his gravity began making itself known to him once more, Vox made himself spread eagle, slowing his descent. The teen observed the treeline of the Emerald Forest begin to approach him, and he thought quickly. He would need to time his landing perfectly, lest he lose his arms. The trees began to grow in size, signifying their fast approach. Vox shot his arms out as he flew through the trees, grabbing a branch. Changing his trajectory while still on the branch he had grabbed a hold of, Vox spun around on the branch repeatedly, dispelling the momentum and kinetic energy he had managed to gain through it. He let go of it and allowed himself to flip onto a larger branch, completing his landing strategy with near perfection. Vox squatted down on the branch, taking in his surroundings. Large trees dotted his vision, and not much else. There was no sign of Grimm, or any animal. Sighing, Vox sat down on the branch he had taken a liking to and mulled over his options.

Headmaster Ozpin had explained the rules of the initiation once more whilst he and the other future students (or future tombstones) waited to be launched. They were to find relics in an abandoned ruin somewhere in the Emerald Forest, and bring them back to the starting point of the initiation. If two students made eye contact, they were partners for the rest of their Beacon tenure. It was a simple explanation, and it seemed easy enough, but now that it was time to actually complete the task at hand, everything seemed a lot more complex than need be. Vox jumped down from the branch, falling twenty or so feet before hitting the ground. He rolled to a stop, then quickly shot up, wary of the risks that came with being alone in a Grimm infested forest. He stalked his way through the trees, moving on the balls of his feet to prevent unneeded noise. Like a shadow, he vanished in and out of view, his eyes wandering and searching for any sign of a ruined castle. He came upon a clearing, unsure of the direction he was heading. Vox scratched his chin, completely lost and hoping that he wouldn't get even more lost by crossing the clearing to the valley of trees that loomed ahead. Shrugging his shoulders, Vox took a step forward, then immediately stopped when he heard the sound of growling. Turning around, he let a smile bloom across his face, knowing that it was time to have a little fun with the Beowulf that decided he would be easy pickings. Suddenly, it lunged, trying to catch its prey off guard, only to receive a dagger to the throat and a short sword to the side, killing it before it could even complete its attack. As if nothing ever happened, Vox turned around and was met with a girl staring at him, a shocked look on her face. The girl was wearing a blue vest with a black turtle neck under it and slick black jeans that were neatly tucked into a pair of stylish blue hightop sneakers. Her hair was a striking azure color, yet her eyes were a deep green. The girl's eyes were narrow and almond shaped, and her lips were small yet full, and her face was round and easy on the eyes. Her skin was a light brown color, which should have conflicted with the color of her hair and eyes, but only deemed to improve upon her overall look. She was attractive, and there was no denying it.

"How did you do that?" She asked. Vox raised an eyebrow.

"I stabbed the Grimm. That's it." The girl didn't look convinced by his answer at all.

"It looked like you barely touched it… anyway, my name is Lian Hua. You can call me Lian, though. Since we are partners now. If you want to, that is."

Vox's eyes went wide for a moment as he bit the inside of his cheek. He had completely forgotten about the partner system for a moment. He hoped that Lian Hua was skilled. She had to be, right? How else would her transcripts have gotten accepted?

"I am Vox. A pleasure to meet you, partner," Vox replied with a slight bow. Lian smiled at him.

Vox decided to prod the girl for information, in hopes that she had made it further than him in terms of discovery.

"Have you found the location of the ruins?"

"Unfortunately, no I have not. I was just about to ask you the same thing," Lian said with a sigh. Vox once again took to scratching his chin. "Then we push on. There must be some way to find the ruins. Maybe if we got to higher ground, we can get a general location. After all, structures are easy to see in a sea of green." Vox walked passed Lian, who quickly turned to follow him.

"So… Uh… Vox… while we are walking, can you tell me about your semblance? And your fighting style? That split-second interaction you had with that Beowulf earlier didn't really help me any." The boy in question remained silent for a few moments before speaking, paying mind to avoid anything that would make him seem suspicious.

"I can move at great speeds when I need to, I have immense physical strength, and I have an excellent ability to sneak. Use that information as you will." Lian nodded.

While the information given to her was less than detailed, it gave her an overall picture of Vox's choice of fighting. He liked to end conflicts fast and clean, without causing too much attention to himself. His attire reflected that, with all of the drab browns and blacks and lack of anything flashy. A natural sneak, perhaps? Maybe once a thief? Lian could feel a certain curiosity well up within her, an thirst for knowledge causing her to inquire more of the brunette boy in front of her

"Can I see your weapons?" She asked inquisitively. Vox stopped and gave her a look, one she could not decipher.

He flicked both of his wrists and two blades materialized out of thin air, one a short silver dagger with a curved and serated blade, the other a short sword with a black thorned hilt and a menacing red blade that seemed to shine blue at certain angles. They disappeared nearly as quickly as they appeared. Vox turned from the girl and began to walk away. Lian was unsure of what to make of his attitude, as he seemed completely uninterested in her. Then again, they were in a forest surrounded by Grimm with a mission to undertake, so he was most likely trying to focus. Lian smacked her forehead. She was doing it again; talking too much and asking too many questions at the wrong time.

Lian made after Vox, being sure to keep up with his brisk pace. After all, what good would she be as a partner if she couldn't walk fast?

"Do not take my shortness to heart. I'm not used to talking when out and about in dangerous areas," Vox said quickly, feeling a small pang of guilt from how he treated his companion earlier.

He made a mental note to himself to remember that he wasn't alone, and that he wasn't meant to be. There was a reason Ozpin chose to have the initiation as it was, and Vox knew it clearly. Team work would prevail over a solo-act. One must put aside their lack of trust and feelings for the person they were partnered with and complete their task, if not that, then they must at least survive. It was as smart as it was simple.

"It's alright, I tend to talk too much. I'll try to remain focused."

"Good."

Silence ensued, though it was not a meaningless one. The two hunters had set their minds back on the prize, and how to get it. Vox had thought about getting to a hill, or some sort of high ground earlier, and now was the best time capitalize on that thought, now that they were both encroached by trees on all sides. Vox looked upwards, lost in thought. Lian stared at him, trying to figure out what he was doing. Just as she was about to comment, however, her partner ran up the side of a tree and caught on to a branch, hoisting himself on top of it, scaling the tree with a strange precision that made him seem more animalistic the further he climbed up. Lian blinked, and Vox was gone, hidden in the treeline. The purple haired girl shuffled nervously as she waited for Vox to finish doing whatever he was doing, her ears focusing on the slight rustling of leaves and the slight shifting of the wind around her. Lian narrowed her eyes at a bush in the distance, and its strange habit of moving every thirty seconds or so, something she had noticed a little while before her and Vox stopped to chat. Drawing her weapon; two circular blades split along the middle, a handle in between each blade horizontal to the splits. On each blade was a Dust engraving that allowed Lian to channel her aura and Semblance through them. Twirling the blades in her hands, Lian shot a glance upward one last time, still finding no sign of Vox. She bit her lip and proceeded towards the rustling bush, only for it to all of a sudden grow legs. Then arms. Then a head. The bush, now a blonde man with long, shaggy hair and a gotee, waved its hands at her.

"Er… hey! You… before you go and kill me, consider the fact that I am not, in fact, a bush! I am a fellow future hunter, just like you! Unless you're some kind of murderin' dingbat… then I'll still have to politely ask you to not kill me. Even if you really want to," The bushman pleaded with fervor. Lian lowered her weapons slightly.

"Now if you don't mind I'll get myself out of this bush and go find my partner, and we can tag along with you and form a good ol' posse!" The strange man removed the bush from his body, fully revealing himself to Lian.

The man was wearing a faded yellow dress shirt, which was tucked into a pair of dirty brown jeans. On his feet were a pair of _really_ shiny leather dress shoes, with what seemed to be some sort of revolver firmly strapped to the sides of them, facing downward. The revolvers, instead of having handles and triggers, had some type of metal rod with various joints on it connected to the chamber and the barrel, with the hammer of the guns being on top of the rods. They trailed up into the bottom of the man's pant legs.

"My name is Melvin Grover Salamon Warschaw the Third. But you can just call me Grover. Or if your into fancy nicknames, you can call me MelGroSalaSchaw, the greatest not-huntsman-yet-but-will-soon-be of all time! I made that one up myself."

"I think I'll just stick to calling you Grover," Lian stated, unsure of what to make of the outlandish man in front of her. She lowered her weapons, deducting that the man was not a threat to her.

Grover smiled and brushed himself off, glancing around.

"You got a partner?" He asked Lian. She nodded in response.

"Yes, I do," Lian pointed up.

"He's in the trees right now, no doubt looking for some way to the ruins." Grover let out a laugh.

"Well, if that aint lucky! My partner, Nuwan, decided to do the same and went on up there a few minutes ago, right after I decided to hide in that there bush." Grover gestured back to his 'ingenious' hiding spot.

As if on cue, a girl fell out of the trees and landing right next to Grover on her backside. She was wearing pink short shorts and a long sleeve white shirt that was so tight that Lian could see every detail of the girl, something she'd rather not be able to do. There was also the issue of the girl's long pink hair and fluffy white cat ears and tail, and her undeniably cute face and wide amethyst eyes. Lian assumed that she was the 'Nuwan' individual Grover had mentioned seconds earlier. She looked ditzy, but her weapons didn't, as her hands were covered by giant metal gaunlets with huge claws on them, which were splattered with suspicious red stains. Very old red stains at that. Vox made his entry by hanging upside down from a branch, gesturing towards Lian to grab her attention. She looks at him, and frowns.

"Did you find anything?"

"Yes. A strange faunus female, and the exact location of the ruins. They are about three miles west."

"So back where we came?"

"No, ya dinkus, your _other_ west," Nuwan interjected, prompting a glare from Lian.

Nuwan raised an eyebrow.

"What I do?" She asked, confused. Grover shrugged.

Vox narrowed his eyes at the girl.

"You were the one that almost knocked me out of that one tree. I have to commend you on that, your sneaking skills are excellent. But please, watch where you are going next time around?" He let himself fall from the tree, doing a flip and landing cleanly on the ground next to Lian.

"Well. This seems like mighty fine team!" How's about we all get to goin', ay?"

The group looked at one another. Were they going to be a 'mighty fine' team as Grover so graciously put it? There was only one way to find out.

 **TO BE CONTINUED.**


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

Vox glanced at the three people around him as they all walked through the dense brush of the Emerald Forest. They were strange individuals, all of them. Lian, being the first he had met, was the most normal out of the group and didn't really say anything after she had told him that she talked too much. Though, Vox had a feeling that was because of Nuwan, who would not stop talking at all. She was going on about fish, and how much she loved it, to her partner Grover, who seemed to be interested in every word she was saying. It was weird, the interaction. The two seemed completely incompatible with each other yet there they were, conversing like they had known each other for years. Maybe they had, and knew each other quite well. Vox had no clue, he was just the middle man in the group, not understanding anything of friendship or friendly company. Years in Tartarus made sure of that.

"So, I had pounced the racoon by then, and I was going to eat it, but my brother told me not to. He was all like 'No', and I was all like 'Yes', then he was all like 'No' again, and I was all like 'Yes' again, and then he was all like 'Alright but we have to cook it first', and I was like 'No', and then he got mad and punched me in the face and I got mad and killed the racoon and started eating it in front of him and then he got even madder and punched me againg and then we started making out—", Lian turned a wide eye to Nuwan, and so did Vox.

"WAIT WHAT!? You made out with your brother? That's disgusting!"

"I agree with Lian. That is not good." Vox grumbled. Nuwan smiled. "He's not my actual brother, silly! I just call him my brother 'cause he basically raised me! Or would that make him my dad? I should call him daddy from now on. Yeah... that's a great idea!"

"No, it isn't." Vox stated, prompting Lian to nod in agreement.

"I agree with Vox. That is NOT a good idea!"

Nuwan looked at Vox and Lian in confusion, then back at Grover. He smiled at her.

"She isn't from civilization. My friend here grew up in the Wilds, so all of our taboos aren't exactly taboo to her or anyone she knew. Sorry 'bout that, I should'a said somethin' but I didn't really think about it at that particular moment."

Vox nodded in understanding. It made sense that the outlandish female wasn't from anywhere that had established social norms, or else she would have realized that everything she had said was absolutely mental. Nuwan bounced around, seemingly unphased by her lack of knowledge and the fact that Grover had alluded to it.

"That makes a lot of sense. Still though, shouldn't you have at least told her something about... you know... what to call certain people? It can raise a lot of red flags if she goes around saying that she made out with her brother..." Lian trailed off, staring at Vox as he lifted up his hand.

"We need to be quiet." Vox pointed downward. The group following him set their eyes to the ground. There were tracks littering the dirt, round, three-clawed, and deep.

"These are Ursa paw prints. And judging by the look of them, a large horde just passed through this area recently. We need to tread lightly."

Nuwan shared a look with Grover, who gave her a quick nod before extending the claws in her gauntlets to full size, crouching down and furling her ears firmly against her head. Grover flicked his wrists and two silver revolvers slipped down his shirt sleeves and into his hands. Lian prepped her blades, twirling them and sending a bright, shimmering blue aura through their engravings. Vox summoned his blades, and followed Nuwan's example and crouched down low, walking on the balls of his feet to eliminate as much noise as possible from his footsteps.

The four had a clear-cut advantage over the Grimm, and they all knew it. Vox especially, since he had learned the ways of stealth within the bowels of Tartarus and had further honed his skill in sneak through the rigorous training he had gone through once he escaped that foul dimension. With this in mind, Vox vanished into the nearby brush and stalked his way around, careful to avoid anything that would cause him to be heard. He was the hunter, and the Grimm were now the hunted. Vox stopped at a particularly large tree and placed his hand on it, eyeing his surroundings for a moment before letting his eyes drift shut. The sounds of the world began to flood in, granting Vox a heightened sense of hearing, allowing the young Hellwalker to see with his ears. The birds in the sky, the three teens behind him, the swishing grass and leaves, the light pitter-patter of small rodent paws upon the dirt became known to him, and so did the weight of a hulking negativity of Grimm. Opening his eyes, Vox turned his head back to Lian and company, throwing up a hand a signaling them to follow him. They complied and quietly made their way over to him, where they all congregated and came to a rest.

"What were you just doing?" Lian questioned. Vox threw her a look.

"I was listening. Feeling. There are Grimm close to the ruins we need to go to. We need to quicken our pace." Vox stood up and began to quickly make his way in the direction of the ruins, being sure to glance behind him every few minutes, in case the other three members of the group could not keep up with him.

It turned out that Lian, Grover and Nuwan had no problem with keeping up with Vox as he weaved around trees and vaulted off of branches and stumps. Lian was using her twin weapons as rollerblades of sorts, skating through the dense brush of the Emerald forest with relative ease. Grover was incredibly fast and seemed to be keeping a light jog alongside Nuwan, who was using the claws on her gauntlets to swing through the tree line with stunning efficiency. The feline faunus swung herself around a branch and twisted through leaves and twigs until she vanished within the trees. Lian glanced at Grover, who shrugged and kept up his run.

"What did she do?"

"Well, she usually likes climbin' stuff to get a better view and whatnot, so, I reckon that's what she's doin' now." Lian nodded and continued to follow Vox, who had come to a stop once more, crouching down to touch the ground to feel out the surrounding area once again. He listened deeply to the world around him, trying to locate the source of the Grimm in the area. He made an assessment and turned back to Lian.

"We are on the right track. The highest concentration of Grimm is near the ruins we need to go to. If we continue our journey this way, we will eventually stumble upon them, and with them other groups of warriors." Vox stated as he jumped over a fat branch that had blocked the path he had set out to travel upon. Lian caught up to Vox on her feet blades, smiling at him. "I figured you'd catch up soon, especially with those blades of yours." He said, his eyes drifting for a quick moment to the female next to him. She was smiling as her blade cut into the dirt beneath the team of amateur huntsmen in training creating large yet thin lines of missing grass and other plant life in the ground.

Suddenly the trees cleared and the four, Nuwan included, as she jumped into the clearing, landing perfectly next to Grover, who gave her a smile and a quick tip of his gallon hat. There, on the other side of the clearing was the ruins, which conveniently enough seemed to be surrounded by fellow students of Beacon Academy, all of them conversing amongst themselves while a dead Grimm sat disintegrating next to them. Vox walked up to them and cleared his throat.

 _ **To Be Continued**_


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

VOX STARED AT the Hunters in front of him, two of which he had already met, Ruby and Yang, the sisters who looked nothing like each other. The others were somewhat new to his sunken eyes, but just like their familiar partners, they had decided to wear the most absurd of clothing into what could be considered a battlefield. A girl with stunning yet foreboding white hair had decided it would be a great idea to wear a white dress, one that seemed regal and overly expensive in its design and material it was crafted out of. She also found it helpful to wear high heels. Why? Vox narrowed his eyes at this, immediately deciding that he disliked this girl quite a bit. There was another female, dressed in what appeared to be a black and white sleeveless vest and very small white shorts, as well as high heel black boots. A black bow rested suspiciously upon her head, something that aggravated Vox to no end. Deciding that it wasn't worth the trouble to plague his mind with the sight of these… children, Vox continued his earlier action of alerting them.

"Is this where we are supposed to find the chess pieces?" He inquired. Ruby caught sight of him and smiled. "OH! Hey Vox! I'm surprised I haven't seen you until now! Not that I was looking for you or anything—"

"She was _totally_ looking for you." Yang interjected; an action Ruby replied to by punching her sister in the arm. Yang simply laughed and playfully swatted away her attacks, the punches being weak. The girl with the white hair scoffed at the siblings' immaturity and looked at Vox. She looked like she was about to say something, but she stopped, staring at Vox, her mouth slightly open. Her eyes seemed to drink up the visage of Vox, taking him in drop by drop. This made him uncomfortable, as he wasn't used to being so openly ogled by anyone, save for the lust bunnies that lived somewhere in the dark recesses between the 3rd and 4th gates of Tartarus.

This continued for around five seconds, the girl regaining her composure and adjusting her posture.

"To answer your question, uhm… may I ask for your name?"

"Vox, I'm pretty sure Ruby mentioned it already." He replied. The girl looked to the side, a look of embarrassment on her face.

"I'm sorry, I try to block out her voice when necessary. Anyway! My name is Weiss Schnee. In case you wanted to know, Vox. Uhm… to answer your earlier question, yes, these are the ruins we are supposed to get our chess pieces from. There is a small stone pillar over there—" Weiss points to her left, "That is where the chess pieces are." She says. Vox nods and walks over to the pieces.

There were four pieces left; the knight, rook, queen, and pawn pieces. Vox thought for a moment, not sure he understood what the exact purpose of what these pieces were. Did they determine anything? Were they to symbolize some form of advancement into becoming a Huntsman? A change of position, perhaps? Whatever the case may be, Vox picked the pawn, quickly putting it in his left breast pocket. He turns around, facing the group he had formed. Nuwan was busy yapping away to Grover, who ran a hand through his goatee, his attention on whatever it was she was saying. Lian stood idly, her eyes darting to random trees and shrubbery. She was obviously on edge, which was good in Vox's mind. Unlike those around her, she stayed wary in the face of a lull in danger, her mind obviously calculating plans for retaliating against Grimm if they decided to appear. Such a mindset had helped him make his way through the dead grey landscapes of Tartarus, with its impossible geometry, frightening demons and deities, and its harsh environments.

Vox blinked, then let out an exaggerated sigh. There was no need for his mind to wander back to Hell, yet it always did, given enough time.

"So, I assume that that… interesting group of people you arrived with are the ones you have chosen to be in your team?" Came the voice of Weiss Schnee. Vox turned his attention to the female, an eyebrow raised.

"Maybe. It seems likely at this point." He replied. Weiss looked towards Ruby, an obvious disappointment present in her features.

"Do you not like the people who are going to be in your group? If its because of Yang, then I can understand why you would feel that way." Weiss looked at Vox, an understanding look in her eyes.

"Yes, her and her sister are just… UGH! They are annoying, have NO respect for the job we do, and in the short time I've known them, they have made my life a living HELL!" Vox narrowed his eyes, the misuse of Hell stirring up a boiling anger deep within him. He let his anger die down, not wanting to get mad at the snooty girl, as she couldn't ever comprehend why he would be so upset about the use of a word.

"Well, that's unfortunate. Hopefully they will become more useful over time." Vox says, leaving the conversation at that, walking away from Weiss, and heading back over to the ones he had become ever so slightly acquainted with, specifically Lian.

"Lian, I have a piece. We should go back to the starting point; I'd rather not waste anymore time here." Lian nods and turns Grover and Nuwan, the two still busy talking to each other about whatever it is that the strange faunus girl found interesting to blubber on about.

"Hey guys, let's move out, we got what we needed."

"Yee yee! That's fine and dandy right there. Come on Nuwan, let's get on outta here!" Grover put his arm around Nuwan, who giggled and followed after Vox, who had taken it upon himself to go off and try to find their way back, Lian trailing close behind him.

It was obvious to Lian that Vox wasn't a very social person, as his calm and antisocial demeanor gave away. Though he did just have a conversation with that Schnee, a family name that Lian absolutely despised, he didn't speak to her for long, and left before a real conversation could actually be had. He seemed like the type of guy who was all bite and no bark, a first for Lian, since she was used to being around men and women who liked to talk the talk, but would rarely, if ever, walk the walk. This made her all the more interested in him as a person, as his very existence went against everything she knew.

The trek back to where they had came from was a quiet one, with Grover occasionally making a remark on the fauna and Nuwan giggling about some joke she told herself before climbing into a tree and disappearing for a few minutes, only to reappear next to Grover as if she had never left. Vox kept to himself, stopping every now and then to prod the ground, searching for any signs of Grimm activity. To Lian, it looked as though he was looking for Grimm, not to avoid them, but to fight them. His body was practically dripping with tension, the way he looked around, his eyes narrowed and filled with a strange kind of lust giving away his intentions. It was almost frightening, how much he seemed to lust for combat. This was a sharp change in demeanor based on her interactions with him earlier.

Just who was he? That question weighed heavily on Lian's mind as she observed him, watching his every move as he suddenly crouched, vanishing into some nearby shrubbery. She stopped, waiting for him to reappear. He was gone for only around thirty seconds before silently emerging from the bushes, a disappointed look on his face.

"What exactly are you doing?" Lian inquires. Vox gives her a look.

"I was hoping to find an opponent somewhere. Grimm seem scarce in a forest where they are said to permeate." He replies, his arms crossed.

"I find it a bit strange that we ain't come 'cross no type of those gosh darn beasts while we been wanderin' about. You think we been getting' lucky?" Grover questions. Vox shrugs.

"Maybe. I wouldn't know." Vox says, his eyes turning upward, his interest suddenly shifting to the sky. What time of day was it? How long had they been wandering around this forest, only to find a damn chess piece and no Grimm to fight? Was this an initiation? Or an elaborate joke created by the Headmaster to fuck with his students? Whatever the case, Vox was starting to become a little more than annoyed.

He scolded himself. He could be doing so much more to help aid the struggle against the forces of Grimm, yet here he was, doing almost nothing. Maybe there lied something just out of reach at Beacon that he would find, something that could take his mind off of the gnawing sense of uselessness he felt. Here he was, a Hellwalker, doing something that didn't live up to the name of the cursed legend; wasting time. Then again, that's what living was, wasn't it?

"Just time wasted doing what we think is important." He mumbled under his breath, uncrossing his arms and letting them slip into his jacket pockets. He continued to walk, feeling the presence of the three people who would become his future teammates as they followed, not knowing whether or not he should be grateful for them being there, or despise them for being there. It was an interesting conundrum, one that would keep Vox somewhat entertained until the group had reached their destination.

…

Vox looked across the courtyard of Beacon Academy, the initiation done, little to nothing happening during it for him and his team, which had been named VMLN, or Vermilion. A color he had little knowledge of, but knew it was some form of red. Ironic. What was more ironic was the fact that he had been named team leader. Knowing that he was somewhat of a lone wolf at heart, Vox had asked Ozpin to have Lian be the leader, since he felt as though she would be more commanding of the rowdy duo known as Grover and Nuwan, both of whom were ecstatic finding out he was team leader, even though they had only knew him for a few hours prior to him receiving the lofty billet.

Ozpin of course, denied his request, instead opting on him being a much better option. There was a lesson to be learned in this choice, and Vox knew that. Ozpin wanted him to be a leader because as loner, he knew he would develop a strong bond with his teammates (hopefully) and lead them not only by word, but by action. His teammates seemed to be more action oriented than anything, so someone who simply talked, or talked more than they actually did anything, wouldn't be the right type of leader for them. Still though, he couldn't help but wonder if Lian would be a much better option, not out of lack of confidence in his own skills, but because of an overconfidence in what was familiar to him and the way he usually went about doing things. What if he got caught in trying to go off and solve everything on his own? What if he ended up having flashbacks to his days in Hell while in the middle of a battle, causing him to fight for his own sake instead of those of his team? It seems like he would have to wait and find out the answers to these questions. Maybe they would come, maybe they wouldn't.

He had heard that Ruby had become team leader, and that her and her team, along with Team JNPR, lead by Jaune Arc, the blonde boy with little to no taste in fashion, had taken down a Nevermore and a Deathstalker simultaneously. This made a nerve pop in Vox's head, since he could have enjoyed a heart-pounding fight, had he just stayed and talked with Weiss Schnee a little more. He didn't know many more details other than they had a spectacular fight, so he promptly assumed something had happened when he left with his team. Whatever the case may be, he could safely say that he was jealous of them. To have such a thrilling moment in combat, semblances flaring, weapons firing, and an evil being falling down, slain... it was something Vox would have relished in.

The winds blowing from the east swept through Vox's unkempt brunette locks, exposing his eyes as his hair was forcefully shuffled around by nature. The black rings under his eyes made him seem like he hadn't slept in years, which didn't help his looks either, considering his skin was already pale. The teen could only hope people didn't think he looked dead. But then again, why would he care? His looks weren't what got him into Beacon, his strength, agility, and knowledge of the Way of the Blade are what got him into Beacon. Everything else was moot. If they had seen him four years ago, right after his escape from Tartarus and sudden appearance in Remnant, they would have screamed for help, fearing that he was a corpse walking. The thought brought a sick pleasure to him.

The sound of high heels making contact against brick and concrete drew Vox's eyes behind him. The familiar face of Weiss Schnee made an appearance. He held back a grimace. What did she want? The white-haired girl stopped in front of him, staring at him, an annoyed look on her face. Curious as to what could be bothering the prissy female, Vox decided to dig into someone else's business. After all, he had time to waste.

"Something the matter?" He asked. It was a simple question, one that had an infinite amount of answers.

"No! That little… annoying BRAT Ruby Rose got to be a team leader, but I didn't! It's not fair! I, Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company am MUCH more qualified than her to lead people! I was TRAINED to lead since I was four years old!" She practically screamed her answer. Vox stared at her, expecting an outburst of this caliber. He shrugged his shoulders. He could simply use the same logic that Ozpin had applied to his questioning. Easy day.

"Every leader here is chosen for a reason. Ruby was chosen to be a leader because Ozpin saw that she would benefit the group she was chosen to lead the best." Weiss scrunched up her nose at this.

"And why wouldn't that be me? I have more experience, more training, and I am OLDER than her! How can a child lead anything, let alone a team of Huntresses-in-training into combat?" Vox smiled ever so slightly.

"Yang told me she was only 15 earlier. Its impressive that she got into Beacon at such an age, not only that, but she survived initiation while also taking the lead against the Nevermore you all fought. From what I heard, she and Jaune Arc came up with some pretty good on the fly tactics for the Nevermore and the Deathstalker respectively.

"It's the potential within her that made her team leader. She's younger but has the opportunity to learn much more than most her age could ever dream of. She isn't special, she just so happens to be fit for the job." Vox crosses his arms and looks Weiss directly in the eyes.

"What makes a good leader a good leader is the ability to overcome the odds of whatever the world decides to throw at them, leading themselves to victory along with others. She led herself into leading you all. At least, that's what I think of the situation." Weiss looked away from him, lost in thought. Vox couldn't tell what she was thinking, but he knew she must have at least picked up on some sort of new understanding.

Weiss Schnee, though infuriating, didn't seem like a stupid girl at all. So, Vox hoped she would pick up the meaning of his words quite quickly. Thankfully, she did.

"I can see where you're coming from Vox. I just… I don't know how to accept this! Not leading a team in Beacon feels like a failure! I feel like I worked my ass off only to get outshined by a 15-year-old girl with a scythe!" This made Vox chuckle internally. The sounds of the bell signaling for the students to make their way back into the academy for some sort of brief caught Vox's attention. He tucked his hands into his jacket pockets before beginning to walk away from Weiss. He turns to face her one last time before he ended the conversation. She was pretty irate about the whole situation, so he decided to do his part and share some wisdom with her.

"The billet doesn't really matter. You can still lead by example… _"For all great leaders learn from those they lead."_ "

Weiss stared at Vox as he walked away from her. A small smile formed on her face. He was right. She hated him for being right, but he was. Maybe, just maybe, she could try to set aside her anger for a while to see what Ruby would do, how the young girl would push the team forward, and how she could be the one to teach her how to do it.

Weiss walked towards Beacon, a new attitude taken towards her future as a Beacon student, and a new interest in a certain boy.

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED**_

 _ **HS/19**_


End file.
